2021 In Review

Matt Robison and I take a look at what transpired during 2021 in the financial industry including a look at the stock market, ESG, Crypto and Inflation.The US stock market continues to rise, posting highs throughout 2021. It has been on a tear, posting 20%+ return the past two years and besting 16% annually over the past decade! Does this lead to any insights for market returns in 2022? Markets tend to go “up and to the right”, so it shouldn’t be surprising. Continue to stay invested with your asset allocation, and be ready for any future turbulence.ESG or Environment, Social and Governance investing really took off this past year. There are now so many funds focused on ESG that it’s really hard to understand exactly what they stand for and are invested in. Be wary. The companies that put together funds are for-profit and are capitalizing on this investing trend.What is the deal with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and crypto in general? Should you invest in this “asset class”? Listen to what Matt and I have to say on this topic.You can’t end the year without talking about inflation. We began the year with the typical story of trying to reach 2% inflation. Well, we blew right past that, recently topping 6.8%! Real wages are barely keeping up - but good news: you should ask for a raise. With the demand outstripping supply in many areas, now is a good time to evaluate your position and salary.Find out more about Mike at https://www.mortonfinancialadvice.com and connect at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwsmorton/